Pressed on why selectors snubbed him from the one-day team, Lyon shrugged and said: "I don't know, ask the selectors. I have no idea.''

Sixers fans will be happy the selectors have got it wrong.

The 30-year-old is enjoying such a hot run this summer, his last loss was more than 100 days ago in a JLT Cup game for NSW.

Pietersen blamed the MCG pitch, which had played second guessing themselves and was ''was not great for a Twenty20 spectacle''.

It was good enough for Maddinson who brought up his half-century off just 23 balls. His knock featured six boundaries and five sixes.

Lyon said Maddinson deserved the man of the match, not him, and ''the way he took the game on, those small targets can be hard to chase down in the shorter format, but the way he went out and played his natural game and big shots, it broke the back of the Stars.''

Hughes was also great, building on his unbeaten 66 in the weekend win over the Thunder with 49 not out off 46 balls.